Why do Americans have to label themselves I am a African American?

Somebody thought it was more politically correct than just calling them "Black". I say you are either an American or you're not, there is no need to be calling people who have been in America hundreds of years by their ancestors' country of origin. If so, we should all be called by our ancestors' country of Origin. The American Blacks are no more African than the Whites are German, Irish, English, Polish or wherever our family immigrants first came from.

This Hispanic crap came about because we Whiteys tend to call every brown person who speaks Spanish a Mexican, and that seems to offend the natives of the other 30 or so Latin American countries. So if we call them Hispanic, because they speak Spanish and are presumably of some kind of Spanish influence, then no one is offended. And, we don't have to know the difference between those different countries, we can just lump them all together with one label which is convenient for us.

Good question.

Ethnic minorities are self-identified by these hyphens for a variety of reasons. They can help as well as beset the individual. They can help you to make business, get a job or scholarship, and find a community; but also create stereotypes, and tend to isolate you from the outside world.

So, these ethnic labels tend to reinforce cultural identity. Also, the media and government use them a lot. The "quota system" (for scholarships, jobs) is based on the fact that some minorities have historically contributed to build the USA while not reaping the benefits. So, these notions stick again.

Labels also evolve, creating confusion sometimes. For example, "Hispanics" or "Latinos", "African Americans" or "blacks"? Such confusion reflects some internal gaps too. For example, Brazilians are from Latin America but are not Hispanics, and the U.S. government does NOT recognize them as a historical minority (so, they can't get scholarships).

Another interesting example is the divide between African Americans and African migrants in the U.S. Nigerians or Senegalese often complain that some African Americans discriminate against them...

This is no easy question. It has benefits but also problems.

I'm not sure about the other hyphenated Americans but African American does not describe a persons nationality but ethnicity. Within the race of Black people there are many ethnic groups. African American is one of them. African Americans are Americans. Some of the most patriotic.

Claiming ethnic identity is a tradition that goes back to identifying by tribal ancestry for Black people. Black people have done this for thousands of years. African Americans generally don't know their tribal ancestry therefore African American represents our tribe. It's confusing because the use of the words African and American. These words usually describes nationality. Put together in this case it describes ethnicity.

im white.. and i love to go by european american. you gotta pretend like you dont accept being called "white," and you insist to be referred to as "european american" lol but i completely get what your saying.. i can understand hispanic american, because there are more hispanics that are first generation from hispanic countries that come to the states, but i think african american should be saved for people who actually come and live here from africa-- or are like 2nd generation to people who came from africa. i live in the south, and i have only met like 3 actual african americans.. the rest are just black. they arent culturally that similiar to africans anymore.. ya know ?

Amen! I agree- while I believe people should refer to themselves however they please, I think the "african american" classification does more harm than it does good, and, if I'm not mistaken, it is a term that actually has its origins among white Americans and did not come from blacks, as is often believed to be the case.

If your average white american starts accepting the average african american, hispanic american, chinese american the same way they accept other white americans, we would not need these prefixes.

To be detailed cause their are black French,Black Canadians,black French, etc... same with Hispanic and other nationalities in America.

when you hear the word "American" doesn't the image of a white person come to mind. that is why they call themselves this because not all Americans are white and they are proud of their heritage. same as Latin Americans.

because in a lot of peoples' minds American = white.

when you think of "all american boy" or "all american girl" what image pops up in your head?

I'm sure they have a plethora of misguided reasons, and I have no control over what others choose to call themselves or others. I do, however, have control over how I refer to people. Let others be divisive and silly if they choose. You just do you.